Pippa Middleton’s wedding in Berkshire will feature the Royals and Meghan Markle

OUTSIDE St Mark’s Church where Pippa Middleton will say ‘I do’ there is a schedule with the word ‘wedding’ scribbled into the Saturday slot.

That will be a huge understatement in a matter of hours when ‘Her Royal Hotness’ marries millionaire banking tycoon James Matthews, 41, in Englefield, west of London, in what is set to be the society wedding of the year.

Ever since Pippa stepped out at Duchess Catherine’s Royal wedding to Prince William in 2011, where her polite demeanour and toned derrière shot her into the spotlight, her private life has become a fascination for global media and Royal watchers around the world.

Pippa Middleton and her fiance, James Matthews are getting married. Picture: AustralScope.Source: Supplied

Outfits are delivered to Pippa Middleton's home in London, ahead of her wedding tomorrow. Picture: Splash News.Source: Supplied

After years of varied romance rumours splashed across tabloids, Pippa’s pending nuptials have been hugely publicised in the British press with hundreds of media sure to descend to the charming 12th century church today.

The A-list guest line-up includes the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge, their children Prince George and Princess Charlotte, Prince Harry and his American girlfriend Meghan Markle, tennis ace Roger Federer, reality TV star Spencer Matthews and a number of Britain’s nobles and uber rich fixtures.

American actor Meghan Markle, who played Rachel Zane in TV series Suits and is Prince Harry’s girlfriend, is set to outshine the bride. Picture: Ray Tamarra/GC Images.Source: Supplied

Prince Harry, Catherine, Duchess of Cambridge and Prince William, Duke of Cambridge, laugh as they host a tea party in the grounds of Buckingham Palace. Picture: Andrew Parsons.Source: Getty Images

A team of painters were commissioned to redo the grand Victorian entrance gates with the regal colour gold leaf, while labourers were hard at work repainting the brick walls on the outskirts of the property, which equal to about half a mile long.

An army of gardeners spent Thursday morning mowing the sprawling green grounds surrounding the church for the second time in a week, while also taking down the St Mark’s Church sign that sits at the front, “just because I think they want it down,” a gardener said.

St Mark's Church in Englefield, Berkshire, will be overflowing with wedding guests, royal watchers and the media when Pippa Middleton and James Matthews are married. Picture: Neil P. Mockford.Source: Getty Images

A bundle of carpets, stacks of chairs and large sound systems were also delivered to the church ahead of the wedding, while UK company Starlight Design, who offer fireworks, were seen delivering big boxes.

Businesses in the tiny tree-lined village received letters earlier this week from Englefield Estate detailing security plans which advised residents to wear wristbands and carry ID so they could get in and out of the street, which will be completely shut off from the public.

Certain residents were reportedly offered up to £1000 ($1800 AUD) for their parking to accommodate the fleet of cars that wait to take 150 guests to the reception, with limited parking space around the church.

Pippa herself reportedly visited a number of businesses, comprising of a Tea Room, convenience store, Garden Centre, and primary school, informing them about the event and that she was sorry for any inconvenience it would cause.

“Yeah Pippa came in last week and said sorry if it causes any troubles,” said the convenience store shop owner, who asked not to be named.

“She was lovely about it all and it shouldn’t cause too much inconvenience.

“We have been busy this past week because there’s been media and workers everywhere.

“We’re certainly not used to this kind of hype here, that’s for sure.”

Pippa was also seen in the village driving a Bentley through the rain with her mother, Carole, on Thursday, going blissfully unnoticed in the eyes of the chilled out locals.

Pippa faces being outdone

Pippa Middleton and James Matthews watch the action at the Wimbledon Tennis Championships in London in July last year. Picture: Karwai Tang/WireImage.Source: Getty Images

The wedding will be the first public outing for Prince Harry and his girlfriend with the Royal family. Picture: Frank Trapper/Corbis.Source: Supplied

WHILE it was initially understood Pippa didn’t invite Prince Harry’s glamorous actor girlfriend to the ceremony, Ms Markle will attend both the nuptials and reception.

The 35-year-old divorcee, who is known for playing Rachel Zane in the US TV series Suits, flew into London on Thursday and was quickly whisked to Kensington Palace ahead of the big day.

It will be the first official public outing Ms Markle has attended with other members of the Royal family after dating Prince Harry for 10 months.

While most locals seem unbothered in the lead up to the large scale wedding and its many high profile guests, the children from the Old Firestation Nursery up the road were not willing to hide their excitement.

The tiny tots made a colourful banner reading “Congratulations Pippa and James” which they plan to hang up on the hedges outside their building.

Children at the Old Fire Station nursery in Englefield, Berkshire, with their wedding poster. Picture: Stephen Lock/i-Images.Source: Overseas

Pippa Middleton arrives for her wedding rehearsal46080

Pippa Middleton arrives for her wedding rehearsal

20 May 2017

“We’re super excited about it and the kids are really caught up in the hype,” child carer Sophie Bieny, 28, said.

“For a little village to have an event this big is really exciting.

“We love the royals here and we talk to the kids about them all the time and it’s pretty cool they’ll be in our neighbourhood.

“They’ve been doing lots of works at the church and along the street for the past few weeks now.

“We will probably watch it on TV as it’ll be hard to see anything with the street blocked off.

“I grew up in the same area as the Middleton’s so personally I’m a huge fan of Kate and Pippa.

UNDER ecclesiastical law, parishioners are able to attend any nuptials in their parish, meaning locals — if they so wished — could rub shoulders with the Royal family at the occasion, said to be costing north of £300,000 ($525,000).

“No, no certainly not, we won’t go, we will let them enjoy their wedding day,” said local Laurel Hans, 76. “It’s just a wedding.”

Her friend Karen Maples, 79, echoed the thoughts: “we might have a sticky beak on TV but I might be asleep by then.”

It is scheduled to rain on Pippa’s parade with scattered thunderstorms also forecast, but the Middleton’s, who own a successful party planning business, have taken extra measures to ensure guests are treated like royalty.

A £100,000 ($180,000) marquee shipped from Belgium was set up at the Michael and Carole Middleton’s $8 million mansion titled Bucklebury Manor, where the reception will be hosted, just 10km from the church.

The portable bathrooms — more aptly labelled ‘bespoke throne rooms’ — were assembled in the property this week and have cost upward of £6000 ($10,000 AUD), boasting porcelain basins, spot lighting and full-length mirrors, with the toilets fitted with vacuum flushes.

Men were hard at work finalising the finishing touches at the gorgeous family estate on Thursday with a low key security presence around the perimeter.

The estate is fairly distance from urban activity with little to no movement near the secluded home.